Eastern Illinois University’s Booth Libr
ary will display the exhibit\, “A Question of History: Public History in I
llinois\,” from March 30 through July 31\, 2017. The public is invited to
view this exhibit at any time during the library’s business hours.

\n<
p>The exhibit was produced by students in EIU’s Historical Administration
graduate program. For more information about the exhibit and related progr
amming visit the web page here.\n

As part of the exhibit\, “Museums\, Memento
s and Memory: A Pop-Up Museum” will be offered.

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The program descri
ption is as follows: “American museums have a higher attendance than all m
ajor-league sporting events and theme parks combined. Hosting over 840 mil
lion visitors annually\, these institutions are charged with protecting ou
r cultural heritage\, as well as educating the public about this shared he
ritage. Through the sale of souvenirs\, postcards and educational material
s\, these institutions encourage visitors to commemorate their experience\
, engage in further research and share their newly learned knowledge with
others.

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“Souvenirs from museums are mementos of an experience. Exa
mining souvenirs can bring back vivid memories of locations and events\, b
oth local and exotic. Souvenirs can also help stimulate forgotten knowledg
e about associated objects or experiences. This pop-up museum explores the
relationship between souvenirs\, memory and place by pairing experiences
with mementos. Why do people collect souvenirs? Why is it important to rem
ember these places and events? Are these places even worth remembering? Th
rough this analysis\, participants will gain a better understanding of the
ir personal connections with historic sites and museums.

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“Pop-up m
useums are temporary exhibits that people create through participation. Th
e HA Class of 2017 will accept souvenirs collected at historical sites and
museums by students\, faculty and community members for this exhibit. Ite
ms will be displayed alongside quotes from participants and passersby duri
ng the length of the pop-up museum and returned afterward. In order to loa
n items to be included in the exhibit\, please contact Jessica Craig at jl
craig3@eiu.edu.

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“Feel free to drop by during the exhibit to share
your thoughts about the importance of public history\, souvenirs and museu
ms.”